Thiol-epoxy 'click' polymerization: efficient construction of reactive and functional polymers

The thiol-epoxy 'click' process is employed as a polymerization reaction to prepare linear polymer chains substituted with free hydroxyl groups. Post-polymerization modification of the hydroxyl units afforded functional polymers exhibiting substituent dependent properties. In this way, functionalized macromolecules are obtained in two simple synthetic steps from commercially available monomer building blocks and reagents.